Claire McCardell introduced her first playsuit in the 1940s. The designer then refreshed and reinvented the design throughout her career, as she did with several of her most inventive creations. The playsuit’s bareness required a lithe young figure and, like much of McCardell’s work, was marketed for fashion-savvy young adults, such as Isabel Eberstadt. As McCardell often designed outside of the realm of conventional fashion, this playsuit is evidence of Eberstadt’s early interest in modern, innovative design.

Object Number: 2007.46.1

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York City 10001-5992